


Ways to Show You Care| Bad Dreams and Real Discussions

by Writings_of_a_Hufflepuff



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-25
Updated: 2020-03-25
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:15:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23312218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Writings_of_a_Hufflepuff/pseuds/Writings_of_a_Hufflepuff
Summary: Prompt: Calming them down when they have a bad dreamCharacter: Charlie WeasleyWarning/Notes: Mildly angst.
Relationships: Charlie Weasley/Reader
Kudos: 45





	Ways to Show You Care| Bad Dreams and Real Discussions

The war took its toll on everyone. Barely any of the wizarding community remained untouched. Everyone had lost a friend, a family member, or an acquaintance. Everyone had seen places they loved touched by war…damaged…destroyed. Diagon Alley and Hogwarts would never be pure, untouched memories anymore. Those places you’d discovered and loved as a child were tainted but death and destruction. 

You’d lost friends and family. Being muggle born was hard, not just because you were a target, but because your family had been targeted as well. You wish every day that your worst nightmares hadn’t come true, that those fears hadn’t been justified, that your family was still here…but they weren’t. You were on your own in a sense, but the Weasleys…especially Charlie always reminded you that you weren’t truly alone. You had people who cared about you. People who loved you. 

Nighttime was the hardest for you. During the day people distracted you, made you laugh, your job as a healer kept you busy and your friends were never far. As hard as life was post-war during the day there was always something to remind you that things weren’t as bad as they seemed. Those days where nothing good seemed to happen, you found yourself too busy to really dwell on the past. 

But, when the sun set, when the moon rose, and you settled into your bed beside Charlie that’s when the memories and the dreams came out. Sometimes you dreamt of things that had been, that had happened… Fred dying, Tonks and Remus, the moment you found out about your family. Sometimes you dreamt of things that hadn’t happened, but that would devastate you if they did. Charlie dying was usually the most common theme. In your dreams he died in so many ways, some muggle, some magical.

Tonight was no different, it started at the Battle. Spells flying, walls breaking, acromantula, giants, and death eaters…you did what you always did, what you had done. You flung spells and ducked and dived, looking for familiar faces, people you wanted to protect, people you wanted to stick beside. The familiar feeling of fear deep within your chest, tightening, like a weight that stopped you breathing easy. The feeling of imminent and ever present danger. 

“Y/N!” A shout, your name, familiar and filled with relief. Charlie, you smile in your dream, he’s here. He’s okay and you can stick with Charlie now, protect each other.

You turn to greet him, your smile drops as he stops in his tracks, green light hitting him, his eyes going blank, his body dropping and you scream.

You scream and you scream and you scream, you’re still screaming when hands gently shake you awake. It dies on your lips as you’re greeted by familiar concerned eyes, long red hair and stark freckles, freckles that you’d always try to count but never be able too. You always lost count after 30. 

Your breath is shaky and stutters as your eyes flit over Charlie’s face, trying to burn it into your memory, to remind yourself that he’s here, that he’s okay, that he’s not dead. 

“It’s okay, love…it’s okay. It was just a dream.” His voice is low and soothing as he moves to sit next to you, pulling you into his arms. Fingers start running through your hair and you close your eyes focusing on the sensation as you try to slow your breathing and calm yourself down. 

You grounded yourself with the feeling of Charlie’s fingers in your hair, legs beneath your own, the sound of his humming and shushing noises, those little things that remind you where you are and who you are with. 

“Do you want to tell me what it was about?” His voice is still low and quiet, soft, like he’s scared to spook you. Charlie always asked but you knew that if you said no he’d accept that answer and not push for more. He asked because he wanted to help and because knowing helped him to help you.

You take in a deep breath, the smell of Jasmine from Charlie’s washing detergent calming you a little bit more. “It was the battle…again.” He hums, knowing just how many dreams you’ve had about that day. 

“Except it was different…” Fingers are still brushing through your hair, soothing circles against your scalp. You let out a shaky breath, “You died. You died and I couldn’t…I couldn’t do a thing.”

It’s silent because he doesn’t know what to say. Because his worst nightmare is losing you and the rest of his family. He knows yours is losing him, after your family…after everything you’ve lost the idea of losing another person breaks your heart and tortures you whenever you fall asleep. It breaks his heart to know you’re tormented so much by dangers that are no longer real. 

“Do you…do you think maybe it’s time to see a healer?” You stop yourself from immediately reacting poorly and think…and think some more. The truth is you’ve been suffering from dreams for months, getting barely any interrupted sleep and looking over your shoulder at the slightest sound. Charlie was right, it was clear you were struggling and while Hermione and the other’s had sought help, you hadn’t…maybe it was time you did.

“Yeah…I think so. I’m just…i’m scared to do it.”

“We’ve all been there…you know that I…that I went after Fred.” You nod against his shoulder, he’d been devastated that he’d ‘failed’ as a big brother, that he hadn’t stopped Fred’s death even though he wasn’t there to stop it. He’d felt like he should of been. “It really does help…and it’s hard, facing all of it, but I want you to be happy and I want you to be able to sleep through the night, love. If you want to do it, i’ll be here the whole time and we can try and find a healer you like.” 

Another shaky breath leaves you as you pull away enough to look Charlie in the eyes, to grimace at him, “I think I need to…thanks for…thanks for making me realise that. I don’t want to be like this forever. I want to be happy. With you. Planning the future and not living in the past.”


End file.
